Cleveland Play House, founded in 1915 and recipient of the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is America's first professional regional theatre. Throughout its rich history, CPH has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire, stimulate and entertain diverse audiences in Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards. CPH has produced more than 100 world and/or American premieres, and over its long history more than 12 million people have attended over 1,600 productions. Today, Cleveland Play House celebrates the beginning of its second century of service while performing in three state-of-the art venues at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland.

Mission

To inspire, stimulate and entertain diverse audiences across Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards.

Vision

To be a premier American regional theatre that is welcoming, diverse, distinctive, bold, thrilling and essential to our community.

Core Values

Artistry

As the flagship theatre of Northeast Ohio, our primary purpose is to create consistently high-quality, entertaining productions worthy of a premier American regional theatre. We are driven by excellence and lead the region with a diverse repertoire. Collaboration is our methodology, as we seize opportunities to work with top-flight artists and organizations, both nationally and within Northeast Ohio.

Community

CPH acts as an indispensable resource for our Northeast Ohio community. We believe that a non-profit theatre should seek to reflect and connect with the community that it serves, both through its programming and its people. We are outward-looking, continually seeking to create and deepen relationships with current and future audiences, collaborate with local organizations, and partner with educational institutions. Our institutional strength is rooted in embracing diversity in our programming, staffing, governance, and among those we serve. CPH is committed to an expansive definition of diversity that encompasses ability, race, gender, faith, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and varying points of view. Our purpose is to produce plays and education programs that are meaningful in the context of our community, and to do so in a manner that is welcoming to all who choose to participate.

Lifelong Learning

We value theatre as essential throughout one's life for developing empathy, broadening understanding, and heightening awareness of the communal nature of our existence. Our educational programming is a critical component in creating meaningful artistic connections among children, youth, and adults. CPH recognizes that rich relationships among artists, staff members, board members, and the community are the very essence of a premier American regional theatre. As such, CPH strives to connect the community with its work, and its work with the community, through programs that foster civic dialogue, fuel intellectual curiosity, and welcome new audiences to the theatre.